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Why are bloggers male? In other words, HUH?

When you think of a person blogging, do you usually picture a man - or a woman - in front of the computer screen?

I don't know about you, but I think, for the most part, women dominate the blogosphere.

When I first discovered the wonderful world of blogging, it was because a co-worker had started a blog. Through her blog, I discovered many other amazing blogs - my first blog crush was Girls Gone Child. I still adore that blog with all my heart.

In 2007, I started my own blog. Because I love to write. And because I loved being on-line. And the connections I've made through blogging have been amazing. Since I began blogging, I have 'met' dozens upon dozens of other amazingwomen who blog, who write, who make me laugh. And that's just a handful of amazing women bloggers I know.

An article written in The Globe and Mail today, by a journalist who did zero research before hitting publish - claims that blogging is "...more of a guy thing." More of a guy thing?

I would say that women dominate the blogosphere, wouldn't you? I also don't think BlogHim exists - but BlogHer - well, that's one conference that sells out every single year, bringing together thousands of bloggers from different countries, bloggers who, for the most part, are women, bloggers who write about many different things, not just being parents.

The article went on to say that "Guys seek thrills and speed." Um, so that's why they blog? It gets worse... "Men clearly have an urge to blog that woman lack."

WHAT? Women lack the urge to blog?

I'm sorry, but that's just untrue. The women I know - we love to talk. And write. And blog. We love to express our (educated) opinions, whether in person, or online. So many women bloggers are also great writers - published authors, accomplished in the field of work they have chosen - whatever it is - and these women bloggers are respectful members of society. Not just 'thrill seekers'.

The author of the article said that "...the urge to blog is closely related to the sex-linked compulsion known as male answer syndrome. MAS is the reasons why guys shoot up their hands first in math class. MAS also explains why men are so quick to have opinions on subjects they know little or nothing about."

So, guys blog about things they know nothing about? Wow. Sorry, guys!

Basically all she proves in this article is that she's a journalist who forgot what she learned in school, and she not only puts down men for thinking they are 'quick to have opinions on subjects they know little or nothing about', but also putting down women for implying that we don't blog because we are scared, afraid to voice our opinons.

She claims her reasons for not blogging are because she also doesn't "get a souped-up snowmobile and drive it straight up a mountain at 120 kilometres an hour into a well-known avalanche zone. It's more of a guy thing." Really? How the heck do the two things even compare?

Since when is writing a blog... an adrenalin rush? Tubing, white water rafting, surfing, successfully changing a dirty diaper on a squirmy two-year old - that's an adrenalin rush. Blogging? Not so much. I mean, yes, sometimes when I hit publish, I feel awesome, but I wouldn't call it an adrenalin rush, would you?

I don't know what to say, really. It just kind of felt like I was reading an article that had nothing to do with reality. (For a good dose of reality, read this totally awesome article on mom bloggers.)

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comments:

Her reference to getting on the snowmobile was linked to a tragedy that just happened this week in Revelstoke, BC. There was a snowmobiling event where an avalanche occurred and two men died. 30 people, including a child, were injured. For her to reference THAT so flippantly was cruel and completely disrespectful to the families affected.

Yes, unlike the other infamous NYT article, it is hard to get angry over this one because it is so out of touch. The NYT article upset people because it told half-truths -- a reality that still exists and is quickly changing.

But the Globe and Mail article is just silly. This post felt like it was written in 1950.

Thanks for posting this blog, my inner feminist has been raging all day over this. We can thank this article for reminding women that it isn't 'lady-like' to express their opinions. I am not sure who she was trying to offend more male or female, but regardless the inherent gender stereotyping is embarrassing. And the fact that little girls are less likely to put up their hand in math class (which rarely has opinionated answers, what's 4+6? ...) is a systemic problem that we need to addressed by encouraging self-confidence in young girls so they will voice their opinions.

first off, thanks for linking me. maybe some of your bazillion readers will come my way.

and if you do, ladies. beware. i got some sick-ass skills. morphing from a carefree bachelor to the father of four in just thirteen months will do that to a man.

but back to my comment. couldn't agree w/ you more. blogging is such a chick thing, it's a joke.

the men who DO blog, though... why? is it for thrills? um... no. my bookie takes care of that. is it a competitive thing? yeah, no. again, i refer you to my bookie. (just kidding?) if i need a charge, i'll run a 10K or go on a four-day, eighty-mile backpacking trip, not peck away at a keyboard while intermittently sipping a piping hot double mocha latte.

the only reason i started blogging was to promote my book. period. but what i'm amazed at is that i actually like it. (i didn't expect that.) i will admit this, though. i don't totally get it. i don't understand the giveaways, product reviews, and conferences, etc... that stuff doesn't appeal to me. good writing does though.

so does "meeting" cool people. like Loulou. the thoughts in her mind get tapped out by her fingers to form words on a monitor which get uploaded into cyberspace. these same words stare back at me from my monitor as my mind processes them, and suddenly i realize that i like and respect Loulou in spite of the fact that i don't even know the sound of her voice. and that's a very good thing. a very good thing, indeed.

She seems to be some sort of columnist, but that doesn't mean it's okay for her to be so FAR, FAR, FAR off base! Blogging is for anyone and everyone, and it's just bizarre to ascribe the practice simply to men. What a strange, strange opinion.

If what she says in her article is true, then I must really be a man! Like you pointed out Loukia, this (so-called) journalist obviously just hit publish without doing any real research on the subject matter. Sad.

My reaction was the exact same as yours--they obviously didn't do their research. The article totally missed the mark and was highly unnewsworthy in my book because, like you, alot of the reasons behind the claim being made seemed totally untrue to me. My husband was NEVER want to blog....ever.

Bi-zarre! That's all I can say. And I totally agree that it just doesn't fit with reality. Maybe I have tunnel vision because I'm a mommy blogger, but it seems to me that the mommy blogosphere (therefore, woman blogosphere) is the most active, vibrant blogging community out there. Also, the most supportive and connected.

I read this a few days ago and thought the same. It also made me question myself and wonder if something is wrong with me because I'm a woman and I love blogging. And I'm a real girle-girl, ya know? So I felt that this chick was WAY off base and totally writing out of her behind on a subject she knew NOTHING about!